The political fallout from the recent Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar has deepened, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia launching a stinging attack on the Congress party.
While thousands of youths gathered in the capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged lapses in major examinations, the demonstration became a flashpoint for internal opposition rivalry.
Sisodia accused Congress of mocking the very protesters seeking accountability, highlighting a significant rift in how the opposition is engaging with the country’s youth movement.
Sisodia’s Sharp Critique of Congress
In a post on X, Sisodia expressed his frustration with the alleged apathy shown by Congress toward the demonstrators. “The country’s Gen Z and youth are unhappy with the Modi government. But today, when thousands of youth reached Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of the Education Minister, the Congress made fun of these youth,” Sisodia wrote. He further criticised the party for its lack of solidarity, stating, “Not a single Congress leader said that he is with their demand,” suggesting that the opposition party’s primary concern was not the educational crisis, but rather the absence of political control over the protesters.
देश का GenZ + नौजवान मोदी सरकार से दुखी है।
लेकिन आज जब हज़ारों युवा शिक्षा मंत्री का इस्तीफ़ा मांगने जंतर-मंतर पहुँचे तो कांग्रेस ने इन युवाओं का बुरी तरह से मज़ाक उड़ाया।
CBSE, NEET, CUET जैसी तमाम परीक्षाओं को मोदी जी ने बर्बाद कर दिया गया है। लेकिन कांग्रेस और उसके… pic.twitter.com/0xotexd302
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) June 6, 2026
Is Congress Uncomfortable with Independent Political Activism?
The core of Sisodia’s argument lies in his claim that Congress is uncomfortable with independent political activism. He alleged that because the youth have begun raising their voices without the banner of the Congress party, the organisation and its supporters have resorted to ridicule.
“Modi ji has ruined all the exams like CBSE, NEET, CUET, but Congress and its leaders are unhappy that the youth of the country have started raising their voice without raising the flag of Congress,” Sisodia remarked. He accused Congress leadership, along with their associated social media influencers and journalists, of spending the day mocking the protesters instead of addressing their grievances.
Divergent Paths in the NEET Protests
The political tension is particularly notable given that the Youth Congress held its own separate protest on the same day, also demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While both groups share the goal of pressuring the central government over the ongoing NEET and exam-related controversies, the disconnect between their efforts has become increasingly apparent.
As the CJP and other youth movements continue to challenge the status quo, the public spat between AAP and Congress underscores the fragmented nature of the opposition’s strategy in addressing one of the most significant youth-led agitations in recent memory.
